“Feeding Consuela” by Dennis Gaunt is a spiritually uplifting talk on CD. Gaunt counsels Latter-day Saints to stay away from seemingly harmless temptations. He encourages people to recognize negative triggers in their lives and replace them with something good.

At the beginning of the talk, Gaunt relates the story of Consuela the spider. When Consuela is fed, she grows bigger and bigger. She is a dangerous spider that can harm those who venture too close.

Gaunt explains that Satan’s temptations are like the spider. Every time we feed our temptations, they simply grow bigger.

Satan feeds on our habits. He seeks to take away our agency by making the Consuelas in our lives more difficult to eliminate. Gaunt asks the question, “Why would you want something so dangerous to live so close to you?”

Gaunt says that we can get rid of our bad habits. By using humor and stories, he shows that we are not alone in this endeavor. We have bishops, family and ward leaders who can help us get back on the right path.

Touching on topics like pornography, social media and texting, Gaunt says that addicting temptations surrounds us. Especially applicable to youths, his talk details how we can eliminate these from our lives.

Gaunt is a masterful orator. He has a firm grip on the meaning of the Atonement and how it can help us escape Consuela’s grasp. This is an extraordinary talk that can help you feel the Spirit and help you make positive changes.

Gaunt lives in Utah and has taught seminary and institute for many years.

Shelby Scoffield is a graduate of Brigham Young University and a graduate student at California State University, Stanislaus.